John Millar, MD, FRCP(C), MHSc
University of British Columbia
Public Health, Health Policy, International Health
604-922-0995 or (c) 604-785-9058 | [email protected] | @JohnMillar10
After a 15 year career in clinical medicine, surgery, health policy and administration in the developing world Dr Millar returned to Canada where he specialized in population and public health (community medicine). After serving as a Medical Health Officer in several BC jurisdictions, Dr Millar became the Provincial Health Officer from 1992- 1998 during which time, among other achievements, he developed health goals for BC.
After serving for 5 years (1998-2003) as the Vice President for the Canadian Institute for Health Information in Ottawa, from 2003 to 2011, Dr Millar was the Executive Director, Population and Public Health for the BC Provincial Health Services Authority. In this role Dr Millar has recently been the Chair of the BC Obesity Reduction Task Force, Chair of the National Advisory Committee for the National Collaborating Centre for the Determinants of Health and Chair of the BC Healthy Built Environment Alliance. Dr Millar is a Lifetime Honourary member of both the Canadian Public Health Association and the Public Health Association of BC. He is a member of the Health Officers Council of BC and a past member of the BC Population Health Network and the BC Healthy Living Alliance as well as many other organisations and networks dedicated to improving population health, reducing health and socio-economic inequities and the better prevention and management of chronic disease.
Dr Millar continues his interest in international and global health issues and has consulted on health projects in numerous developing countries (Cuba, Uganda, Kosovo, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Laos, Zambia, Papua New Guinea).
Dr Millar has received several awards recognizing his contributions to public health nationally and provincially and has many publications to his credit.
Dr Millar is a Clinical Professor at the School for Population and Public Health at UBC where he is involved in teaching and research in public health leadership, health policy and international health.
Download a new hi-res photo of John Millar
Commentaries by Dr. John Millar:
Most Canadians don’t understand food nutrition labels // La majorité des Canadiens ne comprennent pas le contenu des étiquettes nutritionnelles
Why our governments need to address poverty now //Pourquoi nos gouvernements doivent s’attaquer dès maintenant à la pauvreté
Poverty costs Canada billions of dollars every year
It’s time for government action on obesity // Le gouvernement doit passer à l’action sur la question de l’obésité
Accountability measures are the key to sustaining healthcare in Canada // Des mesures de reddition de comptes s’avèrent essentielles au maintien des soins de santé au Canada
Podcasts
Posters by Dr. John Millar:
“Poverty and inequities hurt all of us in the long run. They erode social cohesion and create a burden on all taxpayers to pay for poverty reduction, healthcare services, unemployment, crime and homelessness.”
Read the commentary: Why our governments need to address poverty now
« La pauvreté et les inégalités font du tort à l’ensemble d’entre nous. Elle érodent la cohésion sociale et augmentent le fardeau de tous les contribuables, qui doivent assumer les coûts de la réduction de la pauvreté, des services de santé, du chômage, de la criminalité et de l’itinérance. »
Lisez l’article : Pourquoi nos gouvernements doivent s’attaquer dès maintenant à la pauvreté
“Canadians might be surprised to learn that 86 families now hold more wealth than the poorest 11.4 million Canadians.”
Read the commentary: Why our governments need to address poverty now
« Les Canadiens pourraient être surpris d’apprendre que 86 familles détiennent aujourd’hui, à elles seules, une plus grande part de la richesse que les 11,4 millions de Canadiens les plus pauvres. »
Lisez l’article : Pourquoi nos gouvernements doivent s’attaquer dès maintenant à la pauvreté
“Here’s what the evidence says about the devastating outcomes of poverty: poorer health, more chronic disease, more avoidable deaths, social injustice, increasing demand and costs for healthcare services and reduced productivity of the workforce.”
Read the commentary: Why our governments need to address poverty now
« Voici ce que les données indiquent en ce qui a trait aux conséquences désastreuses de la pauvreté : une dégradation de l’état de santé de la population, un accroissement des maladies chroniques, un plus grand nombre de décès évitables, une augmentation des injustices sociales, une demande accrue de soins de santé et une hausse des coûts de ces soins, et une réduction de la productivité de la main-d’œuvre. »
Lisez l’article : Pourquoi nos gouvernements doivent s’attaquer dès maintenant à la pauvreté
“On a large scale and over the long-term, inequality can slow the economy and erode democracy, political and social stability.”
Read the commentary: Why our governments need to address poverty now
« Sur une vaste échelle et à long terme, les inégalités peuvent aussi entraîner un ralentissement de l’économie, un effritement de la démocratie et compromettre la stabilité politique et sociale. »
Lisez l’article : Pourquoi nos gouvernements doivent s’attaquer dès maintenant à la pauvreté
“The stress of worrying about the basics of life lowers the body’s defences against disease. As a result, we see a higher and increasing prevalence of all disease — obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, lung disease, mental illness, addictions and others — among those who are worse off right across the income gradient.”
Read the commentary: Poverty costs Canada billions of dollars every year
“There’s one thing we know for certain: Poverty and inequality have a devastating effect on children and families.”
Read the commentary: Poverty costs Canada billions of dollars every year
“Governments should by regulation limit the marketing and sales of junk food and beverages, particularly to children.”
Read the commentary: It’s time for government action on obesity
“When the food and beverage industry makes large profits, leaving taxpayers to pick up the costs of providing healthcare for the victims of obesity-related disease. This is a failure of the market mechanism. It is governments’ role to take corrective measures.”
Read the commentary: It’s time for government action on obesity
“Les gouvernements doivent, par la voie de la règlementation, limiter le marketing et la vente d’aliments et de boissons vides, surtout aux enfants.”
Lisez l’article: Le gouvernement doit passer à l’action sur la question de l’obésité
This free ebook is a compilation of the EvidenceNetwork.ca commentaries published in major newspapers in 2015, written by experts in the health policy field.
